Elevating and tilting device for automobiles



H. CAMPBELL ELEVAT ING AND TILTING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed May 14,1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 1924- 1,519,357

H. CAMPBELL ELEVATING AND TILTING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed May 14,1923 2 Sheet t 2 Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

UNITED STATES HARRY CAMPBELL-.015 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELEVATING AND TILTING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed May 14, 1923. Serial No. 638,711.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY CAMPBELL, a citizeh of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook,

and State of Illinois, have invented certain.

new and useful Improvements in Elevating and Tilting Devices for-Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to elevating and tilting devices for automobiles,and has for its object the production of an efficient device for raisingand tilting an automobile so that it may be convenient to get at for repairs or cleaning.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a plan;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation at the same scale as Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig.

2; and

Fig. 6 is a section on line 66 of Fig. 2, with the track in slightlyelevated position.

The main frame is a rectangle composed of side bars 10' and 11, and endbars 12 and 13. These bars may be I-beams connected together at thecorners of the frame by brackets 14 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

Above the main frame is a track frame consisting of short bars 15 and 16directly over bars 12 and 13, and channels 17 and 18 parallel with theside bars 10 and 11. The channels 17 and 18 are for receiving the wheelsof an automobile, as will be described hereinafter.

Secured at the junction of the bars 11 and 12 isa standard 19, and atthe junction of bars 11 and 13 is a standard 20. These standards areheld rigidly in a vertical position by braces 21. Secured to the tops ofstandards 19 and 20 are brackets 22, and secured to the lower ends ofthese standards are brackets 23. Supported in these brackets arevertical screws 24 and 25 having thereon bevel gears 26 and 27 securednear their lower ends.

Pivoted at 28 on bar 13 is a standard 29, and pivoted at 30 on bar 11 isa standard 31.

'On these standards are brackets 32 and 33 which support screws 34 and35 having bevel gears 36 and 37 near their lower ends.

Supported in brackets 38 on bar 13 is a shaft 39 having bevel gears 40and 41 which mesh with gears 36 and 27. Gear 40 is on a feather in shaft39, and is provided with a lever 42 by which it may be moved out of orinto engagement with gear 36.

Secured on the lower end of standard 29 is a bracket 43 (Fig. 6) whichfurnishes a step bearing for the lower end of screw 34 and an additionalhearing which supports shaft 44. The other end of shaft 44 is supportedin the same Way in bracket 33. On the ends of shaft 44 are bevel gears45 and 46 which mesh with gears 37 and 36 on screws 35 and 34. Theseparts are so constructed that when screw 34 is turned, screw 35 willalso be turned at the same rate of speed.

Secured on bar 11 are brackets having bearings 47 which support shaft48, and on this shaft are bevel gears 49 and 50 which mesh with gears 26and 27 near the lower ends of screws 24 and 25. These parts are soconstructed that when screw 25 is turned screw 24 is also turned at thesame rate of speed. When the gear 40 is in mesh with gear 36, then allfour screws turn at the same time at the same rate of speed. When thelever 42 is moved to disconnect gear 40 from gear 36, then screws 24 and25 stand idle when screws 34 and 35 are turned.

Mounted in a bracket 51 on standard 29 and in an extension 52 of bracket33 is a shaft 53 provided with a crank 54. On shaft 53 is a gear 55which meshes with a gear 56 on shaft 44. By turning crank 54, screws 34and 35 may be turned thru the gear connections dwcribed. If gear 40 isin mesh with gear 36, then screws 24 and 25 will also be turned. Screws24 and 34 are right hand screws, and screws 25 and 35 are left handscrews.

Secured on the bottom of the channels 17 and 18, near the bars 15 and16, are bars 57 and 58 having brackets 59 on the ends thereof. Pivotedon these brackets are nuts 60 for the screws 24, 25, 34 and 35. Theconstruction is such that if the crank 54 be turned when the gear 40 isin meshwith gear 36, then the channels 17 and 18 will be raiseduniformly upward by the turning of the screws in the nuts 60. The upperposition in this case is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. If the gear 40is disengaged when the crank 54 is turned, then only screws 34 and 35will be turned, and channel 17 will be elevated above channel 18. If thetrack frame be first elevated to the position shown in dotted lines inFig. 3, and the gear 40 be then disengaged, further turning of the crankwill move the parts to the position shown in Fig. 4. If the gear 40'bedisengaged and the crank turned when the parts are in the position shownin full lines in Fig. 3, then the track frame will be tilted 0n thepiv'ots of the nuts for screws 24 and 25. In this case the standards 29and 31 will turn on their pivots 28-and 30 to a greater extent than isillustrated in Fig. 4:.

Pivoted at points 61 on the ends of the I channels 17 and 18 areextension pieces of channel 62 which have their flanges flared as shownat 63. When the track frame is at its lowest position, the outer ends ofthese extension pieces normally rest on the floor or ground and forminclined planes up which the wheels of an automobile may be run into thechannels17 and 18. When an automobile is in position on the track frame,the pieces 62 are raised to the position shown in Fig. 5 and are held inthat position by hooks 6e pivoted on the channels and engaging pins 65on pieces 62. In such position, the pieces confine the wheels of theautomobile within the channels'17 and 18. On the channel 17 is a seriesof hooks 66 which are adjustable to any position b simply sliding themalong. On each 1100.;

is an eye-bolt 67 provided with a thumb nut 68 and a spring 69 which iscompressed when the thumb nut is turned to tighten it. Secured to theeye-bolt is a chain 70 havin a hook 71 on its end. (Fig. 3.)

In operating the device, the track frame is first brought to its lowestposition, and two of the extensions 62 are dropped down to the floor tomake an inclined track to the main track composed of channels 17 and 18.An automobile is then run up this in; cline to a mid-position in thetrack frame, and the extensions are raised and hooked up as shown inFig. 5. The chains 70 are then passedaround convenient parts of theautomobile, and the hooks connectedto links in the chains. By tighteningthe nuts 68 the chains are drawn tight so as to retain the wheels of thevehicle in the channel 17 when the track frame is tilted.

Having secured the automobile in position, the track frame is tilted, orraised, or both tilted and raised as may be desired. If it is desiredonly to tilt the automobile so as to give ready access to the partsbelow the body, then the gear 40 is disconnected and the crank turned soas to give any desired tilt within the range of the device. If it isdesired only to raise the vehicle so as to give convenient access to thelower parts of both sides, then the gear 40 is placed in engagement withgear 36 and the crank is turned. If it is desired to both raise and tiltthe automobile, then the gear 40 is part of the time in engagement andpart of the time out of engagement While the crank is being turned. To,lower the track frame is simply the reverse of the process of raising iWhat I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, a track. frame, pivotedextensions serving as an inclined track leading to the track frame, saidextensions being movable on their pivots .to elevated positions whichwill close the ends of the track on the track frame and thereby confinethe wheels of a .ve-

' hicle on said frame, means for locking said extensions in elevatedposition, and means for tilting the track frame so as to furnish accessto the under parts of a vehicle there- 2. In a device of the classdescribed, a track frame provided with pivoted track extensions movableto lower and upper positions, means for securing said extensions attheir upper position so as to confine the wheels of a vehicle on theframe, and means for elevating the track frame and a vehicle thereon.

3. In a device of the class described, a mainframe, a track frame havingone side provided with a pivotal connection to the corresponding side ofthe main frame, elevating mechanism for raising the track frame and itspivotal connection, and dis- 1 connecting devices so arranged that atany particular elevation the pivotal connection may be held stationarywhile further operation of the elevating mechanism will turn the trackframe on its pivotal connection.

4. In a device of the class described, a main frame, standards connectedto the main framenear the corners thereof, a screw secured to eachstandard, a track frame located above the main frame, nuts mounted uponsaid screws and provided with pivotal connections to said track frame,connections for turning said screws, and a shiftable connection in saidconnections so arranged that either two or four of said'screws may beturned at the same time.

5. In a device of the class described, a main frame, two standardssecured to one side of said frame near its ends, two other standardspivoted at corresponding positions at the other side of said frame, ascrew secured to each standard, a track frame lo- HARRY CAMPBELL.

